LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Politicizing a solemn occasion

Tuesday

Nov 21, 2017 at 4:00 AM

The ongoing issue over president Trump’s comments to a Gold Star mother of one of the military fatalities in Niger hit home with me; I had to deal with five Gold Star families as commander of the Hurlburt squadron that lost five U.S. Air Force aircrew members on the attempt to rescue the Americans held hostage in the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1980.

On that awful night in the Iranian desert, all of the aircrew members of my squadron, as well as all other members of the Eagle Claw task force, were doing exactly what they were trained for, exactly what they wanted to be doing, were executing a mission with exactly the aircrew members and warriors they wanted to be with, and doing exactly what they signed up for when they volunteered to pursue their career as Special Operations quiet professionals. Only those who train for and execute such missions and risk their lives to come to the aid of fellow Americans can fully understand this unwritten but very valid military doctrine. This is the essence of what was conveyed by Gen. John Kelly, White House chief of staff, to President Trump when the president asked for advice as to what to say to the Gold Star mother.

It is unfortunate and saddens me that a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida chose to criticize the president for attempting the impossible task of easing the mother’s pain and to politicize such a sacred event as a private conversation between the president and a grieving Gold Star mother.